The proliferation of personal computers and portable information devices has provided substantial improvements in the ability to track appointments and communicate with others. For example, many individuals now store information on a personal computer in a way that allows them to track projects, work assignments, and deadlines. And as portable personal computers have become more powerful and inexpensive, scheduling software has become popular and widely used.
At the same time, wireless paging devices, cellular phones, and other portable communication devices are also becoming widely used. These devices allow others to contact or communicate with a person who might otherwise be unavailable. Because communication has become so much easier, people who use modern communications devices are much more free to leave their traditional office environment or home because they know that they can be reached by those who wish to reach them.
While use of the use of scheduling software has become very common, and while the use of new types of communication devices has also become very common, there has been no efficient interaction between the two. Previously, there has been no effective integration of scheduling and communications capabilities, and no way to take advantage of the benefits available if such integration were possible. For example, one possible benefit is that the scheduling system itself can use a communication device to ensure that an individual is aware of important events on his or her schedule. Thus, there exists a need for an efficient system and method for efficiently integrating scheduling software with a variety of communication devices.